Howdy Trailblazers
September 2021
Greetings from Principal Bueno
This week NISD honors Celebrate Freedom Week. Students will learn more about the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution as well as the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the founding of our country. See below to view how Ott has planned daily activities this week to align with Celebrate Freedom Week.
Thank you parents for joining us for Parent Orientation and our first PTA meeting of the school year. We had a successful turnout thanks to you! Below you will find a link to join our Ott-some PTA if you haven't already and further down you can download the presentation from the PTA meeting. To support safety, our PTA Back to School Membership Bash will be celebrated outside on September 24 instead of the originally scheduled Glow Dance in the gym. Attendees must be a PTA member and membership can be purchased for $8 at the door. We look forward to the event and hope to see you there. :)
Continuing this year is our “No Homework Policy.” This campus based decision was not made lightly and required numerous conversations with our professionals for over the course of one full academic year. Ultimately, the decision was based on research, feedback from our professionals, and what’s best for all students. We recommend parents continue to read daily with their child for 15-20 minutes and use teachable moments at home to reinforce academic skills being taught at school. We also recommend visiting the following link after logging into the NISD Student Portal --> Elementary Digital Resources. Here families will find resources available to support various academic subjects for their child from home. As always, parents can schedule individual conferences with teachers to request suggestions for additional academic home support.
Our students are in school for over seven hours a day. Please trust during that time our teachers and staff are providing your child with high quality instruction and supporting students’ academic deficits through research based interventions. Ultimately, we want students to be able to rest after school, play outdoors, participate in extracurricular activities, spend quality time with family, and most importantly, enjoy the opportunity to be a child without the additional stress from school.
Finally, below you will find the latest updates regarding NISD Remote Conferencing. This program is only for quarantined students that have tested positive for COVID-19 and/or those students in close contact that are symptomatic. Please contact Nurse Irma at 210-397-5550 if you have specific questions regarding COVID-19.
Make it an Ott-some week Trailblazers! #RootedAtOtt
Principal Bueno
Important Updates
NISD COVID-19 Information for Parents/Guardians
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Fever or chills
Diarrhea
Cough
Headache
Shortness of breath/difficulty
New loss of taste or smell breathing
Sore throat
Fatigue
Congestion or runny nose
Muscle or body aches
Nausea or vomiting
How do I communicate with the school if my child has seasonal allergies, chronic migraines, gastrointestinal issues, asthma, etc.?
If there is a medical history of these symptoms, please provide a Dr.’s note to the school nurse for documentation. Students will be assessed by the school nurse to determine if there is a change in the student’s normal baseline.
What procedure will be followed if my student shows symptoms of COVID-19 while at school?
Students showing symptoms of illness will be assessed by the school nurse and monitored until they can be picked up by their parent/guardian.
School nurses have the ability to perform COVID-19 rapid testing for students whose parents/guardians have given consent to do so.
Students with symptoms who are not wearing a mask at the time of arrival to the clinic will be offered a mask to wear and the parent/guardian will be notified.
What do I do if my student is sent home from school with a fever (100.0 degrees or greater) and/or any other symptoms of COVID-19?
Contact your healthcare provider for guidance.
If the student has symptoms of COVID-19 and is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the student should not return to school until after at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Additionally, at least 24 hours must have passed since the student had a fever (without fever-reducing medications) and the student has had improvement of additional symptoms (cough, etc.). These three criteria should be met for readmittance on campus.
If the student is evaluated and is diagnosed with another condition, the student may return to school prior to 10 days with a healthcare provider’s note. The student must also be fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. A COVID-19 test is not required if an alternate diagnosis is received from the provider.
When can my student return to school after being diagnosed with, and/or testing positive for COVID-19?
Three criteria must be met for readmittance on campus: 1) at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared 2) at least 24 hours have passed since the student had a fever (without fever-reducing medications) 3) the student has had improvement of additional symptoms (cough, etc.).
If the student has tested positive or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 but has not had any symptoms, at least 10 days must have passed since the date of the positive test/diagnosis.
What do I do if my student is a close contact to a person with COVID-19 and has not been vaccinated?
Contact your healthcare provider for testing and symptom guidance.
If the student is asymptomatic, parents may choose to quarantine their child but are not required to do so.
Quarantine is necessary for a student who is a household member of someone who has tested positive. Please contact your school nurse for any questions.
It is important to monitor for symptoms to include checking temperature twice a day.
Fully vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine if exposed to a positive case as long as they are not having any symptoms themselves.
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after they received their final dose.
Vaccinated individuals with exposure to a positive case and having symptoms will need to complete a 10-day isolation period unless they have a physician's note to clear them to return sooner. Per guidance from the local health department, a negative PCR alone will not suffice for them to return sooner.
Travel Guidelines for unvaccinated individuals: No quarantine is necessary for domestic or international travel as long as there is no history of exposure and the individual is not exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms.
Remote Conferencing- Important Updates 9-7-21
Suspected Cases NOT Automatic Quarantine -
Suspected Cases are those that have symptoms that may be suspected as a COVID case
These students will be sent home by the school nurse and follow their process on whether a child should receive testing, etc.
Campus will wait 3 days to receive additional information such as test results, alternative diagnosis, etc.
The first 3 days of absences will be considered “regular” absences and students ARE NOT eligible for Remote Conferencing during this time
Parents are encouraged to have their children stay in touch with their teachers for makeup work as needed.
If a student is cleared from a COVID diagnosis, the student returns to school at the designated date
If symptoms continue beyond 3 days - student would then become eligible for Remote Conferencing
If positive test results - student is entered as a positive case and dates will be tracked
Student Absences NOT Close Contact -
- Since the student is NOT a close contact, they are NOT required or encouraged to quarantine. If the parent wishes to quarantine - this would NOT be on the quarantine list and completely a parent decision. The child is simply marked absent and NOT eligible for Remote Conferencing.
- As for excused vs unexcused - the parents can send a note for up to 3 days excused absence but after that would have to have a Dr. note as to why the child is out.
Regular Absences -
- As it was prior to COVID, with any absence it is the parent's and/or student's responsibility to stay in contact with the child's teacher and make up any work they miss. In these cases teachers can send paper assignments, email them to students or place them in Seesaw/ Schoology for students to access, as well as allow time upon the student's return to make assignments missed up if necessary
Students who qualify and attend Remote Conferencing will be counted as present for the day.
Elementary hours for Remote Conferencing is from 8:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
- Monday from 8:00 - 5:00
If students have technical issues and can not log into the portal or NISDs Zoom, parents can call 210-397-0020 or 877-768-4630
Online Tutoring
Helpful Resources
Latest Information Regarding Masks
Please visit the NISD website for the latest information regarding masks in Northside ISD- https://www.nisd.net/.../latest-information-regarding...
From the Superintendent: Reunited In-Person
NISD Reunited Safely
NISD will continue to consult with and review the guidance issued by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), as well as local, state and national public health officials. Additionally, any order issued by the governor’s office will be followed.
For a list of general guidelines to start the school year, click here.
Free Internet
Parent Accounts in Schoology
- Parents who had an account for the 2020-2021 school year can still access the account.
- Parents can reset their password using the "Forgot Password" link.
- If creating a new account, parents will need their student's access code. Contact your child's teacher for the access code.
- For additional assistance refer to this resource: Parent Accounts in Schoology FAQ.
Free Meals!
Attendance Matters - Attendance Counts!
September is Attendance Awareness Month and Northside ISD encourages all families to prioritize daily school attendance. Research shows that school attendance leads to future success and brings numerous benefits to students, including higher academic achievements.
Texas Education Code states that students must be present in class 90% of the time in order to earn course credit or be promoted to the next grade level.
Not only do absences lead to learning loss, they can also lead to social-emotional deficiencies. We encourage all parents and students to make school attendance a top priority except for times when the student is ill.
Ott Afterschool Clubs
Stay Connected with NISD
While one-on-one communication is the best, in a district as large as Northside ISD it is sometimes difficult. Because we want our parents to stay informed, NISD has several ways that parents and other interested citizens can stay informed about the successes and challenges of San Antonio’s premier school district of choice, as well as find out news about their children’s schools.
Follow Ott on Social Media
Please don’t forget to stay connected by following and "Liking” Ott Elementary and Ott PTA on:
- Facebook @ottelementary and @OttElemPTA
- Twitter @NISDott and @ott_pta
- Instagram @nisd_ott and @ottelementarypta
Thank you to those who have joined us this year, we appreciate your support. We encourage everyone to follow us on these social media arenas.#RootedAtOtt
Student devices for the New School Year
As we prepare for students returning to school in the 2021-2022 school year, we have worked to ensure that we can provide every student with a Northside device to participate in classwork. Northside will make a device available to every student in the district unless the parent communicates that a device is not needed. After reading the Technology Loan Agreement, if your child does not need a device please complete the NISD Device Lending Agreement form on nisd.net/parents.
If you opt out of a Northside device for your student(s) and wish to switch to a district-issued device at any time, you will need to revisit the NISD Device Lending Agreement on nisd.net/parents to change your selection.
Thank you for partnering with us in your child’s education. If you have any questions about student device check out, please contact your child’s campus for more information.
Free COVID-19 Testing
Free COVID Testing
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Starting this week, NISD will be hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics at our middle and high schools. The vaccine is available for anyone 12 years old and up. No appointment is required. Dates/times/locations here- https://www.nisd.net/.../nisd-hosting-covid-19-vaccine...
NISD is Hiring
Ott GT Awareness Night
Ott Counselors Care
Library News
Ott OASIS Tutoring Program
Who: Caring adults over 50 years old who want to make a difference with our Ott students.
What : Oasis Tutors are active older adults who love reading and making a meaningful contribution to the Ott Community.
Why: NISD supports the Oasis national non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of mature adults and engaging them in community service. The Oasis Tutoring Program supports Reading Achievement, builds interest and motivation, models language and oral expression, and encourages response to text.
How: Just fill out the bottom of the form that was sent home with your child and return it to your child's teacher.
When: Oasis Training will take place soon for preparation and supplies. As soon as Volunteers have their training with the district, a student will be paired up with an Oasis Mentor. Weekly 1 hour tutoring sessions and the partnership will begin.
Donate to NEF!
The Northside Education Foundation was created in 1995. The mission of the Foundation is to foster community involvement in innovative educational programs by generating and disbursing funds and other resources to provide enrichment for students of the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, TX.
Support Northside ISD teachers and staff with a donation during the Northside Education Foundation Annual Giving Campaign. The campaign is from September 2 - 24 and donations go to the NEF Grants Program. NISD teachers and staff are the rhythm section that keeps the District’s beat and NEF provides tools so the beat goes on.
Ott Bike Rodeo is Oct. 8, 2021
Important Dates
Sept. 13 - 17
- Celebrate Freedom Week
- Luna Band Parent Meeting @ 5:00 pm in the Luna Band Hall (5th)
- GT Parent Orientation @ 5:30 in B108
- GT Awareness Meeting @ 5:30 in the library
- Kona Ice @ 2:30
- Back to School Membership Bash from 6 - 8
- Burger Boy Family Night from 5 - 9 (Hwy 151/Potranco)